How to Shop Responsibly

We know that many of you are working hard to shop responsibly, but it can be hard. Packaging carries buzzwords like “natural” - but sometimes these words mean very little. That’s why we wanted to help by giving a quick “how to” on buying your soaps and lotions responsibly.

Read the Label

Remember that all of your soaps and lotions will soak into your skin - and many products will go down your drains and into our waterways and streams. Read the label and buy items with ingredients you can understand. Some ingredients to avoid include:

Fragrance

Parabens

Propylene Glycol

Triclosan

Sulfates

Synthetics

Ureas

Look for biodegradable products

You would think that skincare products would naturally be biodegradable, but unfortunately this is not always the case. When shopping for your soaps, lotions, and creams, be sure to find products that are biodegradable. Not only will these generally be healthier for you, when they wash into our waterways they will break down into nontoxic components.

When buying artisanal soaps and lotions, try buying direct from the manufacturer. This can help the manufacturer see a higher percentage of their profits - and it provides you with a direct line to the people making the product so that all of your questions can be answered at the source. Finally, buying direct is often cheaper - so it can help you save money, too!

Look for labels that mean something

Labels like “organic” or “fair trade” have a legal meaning. However, a label like “natural” may mean very little. If you aren’t sure what the label means, contact the manufacturer directly and get it clarified. Many artisanal or handmade products are produced by people who are eager to talk about their best practices.

Shopping for biodegradable, natural skin care products requires a little more thought than just grabbing something from your local big box store. However, the results make the extra care worth the trouble!